What was the popular soveereignty?

Answer 1

Popular sovereignty is a political doctrine asserting that the legitimacy of government authority comes from the consent of the governed. It was a key principle in the 19th-century debates over the expansion of slavery in the United States, where it was proposed that the settlers of a territory should determine whether to allow slavery. This concept aimed to empower citizens in decision-making processes, but it also led to significant conflict, particularly in the lead-up to the Civil War. Ultimately, popular sovereignty highlighted the tension between democratic ideals and the realities of regional interests.